• The Korean Journal of Medicine
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• v.99 no.2
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• pp.116-121
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• 2024

Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a systemic necrotizing vasculitis predominantly involving medium- or small-sized arteries, typically of the kidneys and other internal organs. Given the rarity of PAN and the variable clinical presentation, diagnosis is challenging and, to date, no definitive diagnostic marker has been identified. A patient diagnosed with immunoglobulin A nephropathy was observed to exhibit deterioration in renal function. To determine whether new structural abnormalities had developed, computed tomography scans of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder were obtained. Both kidneys exhibited multiple cortical defects, and a renal angiogram was performed to determine the cause. Angiography revealed partial obliteration of the left distal renal artery branches and multifocal extensive infarctions in both kidneys, and the patient was diagnosed with renal-limited PAN. Following steroid monotherapy, an improvement in renal function was observed. We believe that this case report may be helpful to physicians who assess and treat patients with suspected renal-limited PAN.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.8 s.253
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• pp.551-556
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• 2005

Background: Complete arterial off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) by sequential anastomoses with one or two arterial grafts provides favorable outcomes. However, problems of insufficient graft length, hypopefusion, kinking of graft, and unfavorable course of graft may be encountered. To solve these problems, we have used different technique with multiple arterial Y composite graft to allow end-to-side rather than sequential anastomoses and evaluated the results of this method. Material and Method: Between February 2003 and October 2004, If patients underwent total arterial OPCAB using multiple arterial V composite grafts with left internal mammary artery (LIMA), radial artery (RA), and right internal mammary artery (RIMA). We divided RA into multiple segments by number of distal target site after measuring of individual proper length and constructed arterial composite graft. One of segments was sutured end-to-side to LIMA and other segment was sutured end-to-side to the previously constructed radial graft. Postoperative graft patency was evaluated in 6f patients by multi-slice computed tomegraphy. Result: An average of $2.5\pm0.6$ arteries and $3.7pm0.7$ distal anastomoses per patient were done. There was no perioperative myocardial infarction, clinical hypoperfusion syndromes, and operative mortality. Postoperative mean CK-MB level was $17.4pm29.7\;IU/L.$Overall graft patency was $99.1\%\;(214/216)(LIMA:\;100\%,\;RA:\;98.4\%,\;RIMA:\;100\%).$ Conclusion: This technique allows total arterial OPCAB without technical problems and provides excellent early clinical results and graft patency. We believe that this technique is more convenient in the obtuse marginal area compared to sequential technique, and helpful in patients who require complex arterial grafting.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.556-566
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• 2018

Purpose: This study was designed to determine the relationship between health behaviors and high levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) according to cardiovascular risk factors among Korean adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on the sixth Korea national health and nutrition examination survey (KNHANES VI). Participants were 13,841 adults aged 19 years and older. Cardiovascular risk factors were stroke, myocardial infarction or angina, diabetes mellitus, smoking, hypertension, aging, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) under 40 mg/dL and HDL-cholesterol over 60 mg/dL. Cardiovascular risk groups were classified as very high risk (stroke, myocardial infarction or angina), high risk (diabetes mellitus), moderate risk (over 2 risk factors), and low risk (below 1 risk factor). The prevalence of high LDL-cholesterol was calculated using the LDL-cholesterol target level according to cardiovascular risk group. Results: The prevalence of high LDL-cholesterol was 25.5% in males and 21.7% in females. Complex sample cross tabulation demonstrated that the high LDL-cholesterol and normal groups differed significantly according to age, education, body mass index, percentage of energy from carbohydrate, fat, saturated fat and n-6 in males and females. These two groups were also significantly different according to smoking in males and the percentage of energy from n-3 in females. Complex sample multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for multiple confounding factors demonstrated that the probability of high LDL-cholesterol was significantly associated with current smoking (OR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.40-1.99), obesity (OR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.64-2.31) in males, and current smoking (OR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.19-2.52), obesity (OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.39-1.90), percentage of energy from n-3 (quartile 1 vs. quartile 2; OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.62-0.96; quartile 1 vs. quartile 3; OR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.56-0.94; quartile 1 vs. quartile 4: OR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.51-0.87) in females. Conclusion: This study reveals the impact of smoking, obesity, energy percentage of nutrient intake on LDL-cholesterol.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.321-326
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• 2005

Kawasaki disease is an acute systemic vasculitis of unknown origin. Giant coronary aneurysm is one of the most serious complications, although peripheral artery vasculitis can produce life-threatening events. Myocardial ischemia and infarction can be caused by coronary artery stenosis, aneurysm, and stagnation of blood flow in coronary arteries which triggers thromboembolism. Atypical presentation in young infants often interferes with prompt diagnosis and timely treatment, resulting in poor outcomes. We describe a 3-month-old infant with multiple giant coronary aneurysms with flow stagnation, stenosis and large mural thrombus due to Kawasaki disease. He presented with a prolonged course of severe coronary involvement in spite of all measures to reduce coronary complications. Finally, surgical intervention was tried because of the worsening coronary artery abnormalities. The patient died of acute cardiorespiratory failure shortly after weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.142-149
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• 2003

To know the feasibility of the coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) for multivessel coronary artery disease with purely bilateral internal thoracic arteries (ITAs), we analyzed the short-term clinical results and the coronary angiography of the patients. Material and Method: From March 2001 to June 2002, four hundred and five patients underwent CABG. Purely bilateral ITAs were used in 159 patients (39.3%). We analyzed these patients retrospectively The mean age of these patients was $61.2{\pm}8.5$ (range: 30 ~80) years and there were 123 male patients. The preoperative risk factors were as follows: diabetes in 54 patients (34.0%), history of acute myocardiac infarction within 4 weeks in 29 (18.2%), and emergency operation in 6 (3.8%). Off-pump CABG was carried out in 128 patients (80.5%). Associated procedures were mitral valvuloplasty (5), aortic valve replacement (3), Dor procedure (1), and so on. Result: The mean number of distal anastomoses was $3.1{\pm}0.9$ (range: 2~6), the mean duration of hospital stay was $8.4{\pm}4.5$ days. There was one (0.6%) operative death. Except for one early death, no other patients suffered from low cardiac output. The other postoperative complications were occurred as follows: reoperation due to bleeding in 3 patients, perioperative myocardiac infarction in 1, transient cardiac arrest in 2, transient cognitive dysfunction in 7, and transient ischemic attack in 1, and deep sternal wound infection in 1 patient. Recently, early postoperative angiography was performed in 19 patients who had triple vessel disease. The total number of distal anastomosis was 78 (mean $4.1{\pm}0.8$/patient). All distal anastomosis sites were patent, but competition flow was observed at the bypass sites where the native coronary artery stenosis was not significant. Conclusion: The CABG with purely bilateral ITAs for triple vessel disease was performed safely. The early patency rate was relatively good in small number of patients. However the long-term patency rate and the functional study to evaluate the sites where competition flow was observed should be followed.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.47-67
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• 2007

Objectives : This study was aimed to investigated the warning signs and its relationship with the other characteristics in acute stroke patients. Methods : 225 acute stroke patients were recruited at the Department of Cardiovascular and Neurologic Diseases (Stroke Center) of Kyung Hee University Oriental Hospital from October 2005 to September 2006. We evaluated their stroke type with brain MRI, their warning signs, and general characteristics such as age, sex, past history, risk factors, etc. Results : 225 subjects were included in the final analysis. In the subjects' general characteristics, the most common etiology of stroke was small vessel occlusion. In the assessment of the subjects' warning signs, the frequency of tension felt at the cervical area was highest followed by blepharospasm, sensory dysfunction (one side of numbness, tingling sensation, dead sensation), one side paralysis or weakness, etc. After analyzing etiology, cerebral hemorrhage had more facial spasm sign and hypertension than cerebral infarction. On the other hand, cerebral infarction had more diabetes and sensory dysfunction (one side of numbness, tingling sensation, dead sensation) than cerebral hemorrhage. Among stroke locations, subjects with their brain lesion in the cortex had more warning sings of motor dysfunction such as one side paralysis, or weakness. Multiple lesions showed a close relationship with smoking habit and were more common in males than in females. The under 65 years old group were more commonly associated with alcohol consumption, accidental mental stress and blepharospam than the over 65 years old group. In the group of under 65 years old, males more commonly had lesions in occipital lobe, alcohol consumption and smoking habit than females. Otherwise, females more commonly had vision dysfunction and blepharospasm than males. In the group of over 65 years old, males more commonly had cortex lesion than females. On the other hand, Females more commonly had accidental mental stress than males. Conclusions : We observed various warning signs and their distribution in acute stroke patients. The subjects' brainlesions and their etiology seemed to affect the features of the warning signs. Hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia were also related to etiology of stroke and some habitual problems such as smoking and drinking seemed to reduce the age of stroke ictus. Although a concrete conclusion can hardly be drawn from this study, it reminds physicians of the importance of warning signs which appear among their patients.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.17-26
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• 2012

Purpose: This study mainly focuses on the patients treated with chemically stable radiopharmaceutical product $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO (d,l-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime) which yielded reduced image quality due to a decreased brain extraction rate. $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO will be examined further to determine whether this product may be accounted as a factor for this cause. Material and Methods: From January 2010 until December 2010, out of 272 patients who were all subjected to $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO brain blood flow SPECT scans resulting from Cerebral Infarction; 23 patients(ages $55.3{\pm}9$, 21 males, 3 females) with decreased tissue extraction rate were examined in detail. The radiopharmaceutical product $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO was used on patients with normal brain tissue exchange rate as well as those with reduced rate in order to prove its' chemical stability. The patients' age, sex, blood pressure, existence of diabetes, drug use, current health status, known side effects from CT/MRI, examination of the patients' past SPECT before/after images were accounted to determine the factors and correlations affecting the rate of blood tissue extractions. Result: After multiple linear regression analysis, there were no unusual correlations between the 6 factors excluding sex, and before/after examination images. Male subjects showed reduced brain tissue extraction rate than the females ($p$ > 0.05) 91.3% male, 8.7% female. Wilcoxon Matched-Pairs Signed-Ranks Test was used on the before/after images which yielded a value of 0.06, which did not indicate a significant amount of difference on the 2 tests ($p$ > 0.05). As a result, the before/after images indicated similar brain tissue extraction rates, and there were variations depending on the individual patient. Conclusion: The effects of the chemically stable radiopharmaceutical product $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO depended on the patient's personal characteristics and status, therefore was considered to be a factor in reducing brain tissue extraction rate. The related articles of $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO cerebral blood flow SPECT speculates a cerebrovascular disease and factors resulting from portal veins, and it was not possible to pin point the exact cause of decreasing brain tissue extraction rate. However, the $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO cerebral blood flow SPECT scan proved to be extremely useful in tracking and inspecting brain diseases, as well as offering accurate results from patients suffering from reduced brain tissue extraction rates.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.267-274
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• 2018

Posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (PCBPPV) is the most common disease among patients who visited the st. Carollo hospital dizziness center with the head suddenly feeling rolling or rotational dizziness caused by head and body movements. Most patients showed improvements in symptoms after a single treatment. On the other hand, there are more causes requiring multiple treatments. This study examined the factors affecting the canalithiasis repositioning maneuver for symptom recovery of dizziness, which is posterior BPPV. Dizziness patients who visited the dizziness center of PCBPPV were classified. From March 2008 to November 2010, the cure rate of 165 posterior BPPVs patients was investigated. The success rate after the first, second, third, and further treatments was 57.6%, 17.6%, 10.3%, and 14.5%, respectively. The factors affecting treatment of PCBPPVs included traumatic, medical disease, cerebral infarction, small vessel disease, vestbro basilar artery insufficiency (VBI), cerebrovascular disease, brain disease, and vestibuloplasty (P<0.05). Vomiting, nausea, and syncope can be treated easily by considering the factors affecting these treatments. If the related diseases are combined with the treatment of the canalithiasis repositioning maneuver for symptom recovery of dizziness, the results will show an improvement in daily life that is free from painful dizziness.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.57 no.5
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• pp.342-349
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• 2015

Background : Higher reperfusion rates have been established with endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke patients. There are limited data on the comparative performance of mechanical thrombectomy devices. This study aimed to analyse the efficacy and safety of the stent retriever device (Solitaire stent) by comparing procedure time, angiographic outcome, complication rate and long term clinical outcome with previous chemical thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy using penumbra system. Method : A retrospective single-center analysis was undertaken of all consecutive patients who underwent chemical thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy using Penumbra or Solitaire stent retriever from March 2009 to March 2014. Baseline characteristics, rate of successful recanalization (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score 2b-3), symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, procedure time, mortality and independent functional outcomes ($mRS{\leq}2$) at 3 month were compared across the three method. Results : Our cohort included 164 patients, mechanical thrombectomy using stent retriever device had a significant impact on recanalization rate and functional independence at 3 months. In unadjusted analysis mechanical thrombectomy using Solitaire stent retriever showed higher recanalization rate than Penumbra system and chemical thrombolysis (75% vs. 64.2% vs. 49.4%, p=0.03) and higher rate of functional independence at 3 month (53.1% vs. 37.7% vs. 35.4%, p=0.213). In view of the interrelationships between all predictors of variables associated with a good clinical outcome, when the chemical thrombolysis was used as a reference, in multiple logistic regression analysis, the use of Solitaire stent retriever showed higher odds of independent functional outcome [odds ratio (OR) 2.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.96-7.17; p=0.061] in comparison with penumbra system (OR 1.57, 95% CI 0.63-3.90; p=0.331). Conclusion : Our initial data suggest that mechanical thrombectomy using stent retriever is superior to the mechanical thrombectomy using penumbra system and conventional chemical thrombolysis in achieving higher rates of reperfusion and better outcomes. Randomized clinical trials are needed to establish the actual benefit to specific patient populations.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 1994

We studied 115 patients with seizure who had been performed brain SPECT, brain MRI or CT and EEG. To evaluate the pattern of brain SPECT in seizure patients 28 of them had secondary epilepsies, 87 had primary epilepsies. In primary epilepsies, 42 were generalized seizure and 45 were partial seizure. The causes of secondary epilepsies were congenital malformation, cerebromalacia, cerebral infarction, multiple sclerosis, AV-malformation, granuloma and etc, in order. In 28 secondary epilepsies, 25 of them, brain SPECT lesions was concordant with MRI or CT lesions, 3 were disconcordant. The brain SPECT findings of generalized seizure were normal in 22 patients, diffuse irregular decreased perfusion in 8, decreased in frontal cortex in 4, temporal in 5 and frontotemporal in 3. In 45 partial seizure, 19 brain SPECT were concordant with EEG (42.4%).